6 weeks old!

How come no one tells you that time will begin passing at warp speed once your child is born? 
My sweet angel will be SIX weeks old on Saturday. 

It's okay if you're feeling the urge to bite him. :) I do every day- so does his daddy! 
We've had a busy six weeks at home learning how to work with each other and trying to make a schedule. If you thought I was high maintenance before, you'll be astounded to hear that I now take about 30 minutes to get ready and don't even wash my hair every day! Thank you, Jesus, for dry shampoo! 

Dane and I have settled into a routine here lately. He's eating more on a schedule and taking three naps a day. Usually those naps can be timed like clockwork- every so often he gets a wild hair though. He's sleeping from 5-8 hours a night. When he does wake, he nurses and goes right back to sleep. Nursing is going so much better than I could have hoped. I'm so glad I stuck it out. It was, like everyone said, the hardest thing I have ever done but OH so rewarding. There's a sense of pride in knowing that you're responsible for those little chubby thighs and rolly cheeks! 

Mommy has started working on her chubby thighs and rolly cheeks this week by heading back to the gym. I gained 39 pounds during my pregnancy. The first 21 literally fell off. Given, roughly 9 of it was baby. :) These last few aren't in a hurry to go anywhere. That might be because nursing makes me hungrier (and thirstier, if you can imagine that, my friends!) than I ever was pregnant. I'm trying to eat healthy snacks (both for weight loss and healthy milk) and I've been spinning twice this week. Dane naps like a champ in his carseat next to my bike. He likes the lights at the gym and the sound of the wheels spinning, I think. I will not diet as long as I'm nursing so I'm hoping a healthy lifestyle will help shed the rest. 

Dane is starting to smile back at us and stares intently at you when you talk to him. He loves light fixtures, especially if they're on, and loses his mind over ceiling fans. Maybe he'll have a future career at Lowe's. He has amazing head and neck control and seems to enjoy laying on his tummy for a bit. He likes his paci, but only when he's sleepy. He pretty much hates being left alone, he wants to be able to hear you or see you. He also loves noise of pretty much any kind- especially the vent fan on the stove. :) He fights sleep harder than any child I have ever seen. He does best swaddled and held close... he'll finally stop wiggling and give in to rest. PS: Halo Sleep Sacks are the best. He can break free of a regular blanket swaddle AND the Summer Infant Swaddle Me swaddles- which use velcro, I might add! He's a strong boy. He hasn't busted the zipper on the sleep sack... yet. 

Every so often I am able to pump a bottle and share in feeding our growing boy. One of our favorite expressions of his is his "milk drunk" face after he's nursed or had a bottle of breastmilk. 

 All is right with the world when his belly is full of milk. Having a bottle on hand makes heading out of the house a little easier too, though I am learning the art of breastfeeding in public- and it IS an art, let me tell you! Here is daddy feeding the boy while we were out to eat the other night. 

 My best friend Lindsay came in for a few days last week. Not only was it good to see her, it was nice to have an extra pair of hands around the house. Especially the hands of an expert who is raising two fabulous kids of her own. 

My heart breaks for the mommies who go back to work at six weeks. If I had taken six weeks I'd go back Monday. Thankfully, my incredibly-smart-financially-responsible husband padded our savings account and this mommy is home for 12. However, the first six have gone by so fast, I'm scared the next six will too. I'll entertain alternate ways of paying a mortgage if you come up with any ideas. :) 

In other news, I read this article about c-sections the other day. Loved it. I did all the research and was prepared to have my sweet boy without intervention. However, in the end, we ended up choosing the safest way for our boy to enter the world. I wouldn't change a thing and this mom's thoughts are very similar to mine. I wasn't duped by the medical system- we did the research, saw his measurements and weighed the risks and benefits. Sometimes I feel like I'm almost apologizing when I tell people I had a c-section. I refuse to do that any longer. I have a perfectly healthy baby boy and my vagina is still intact. I call that a win-win. Sorry, dad, probably TMI for you. :)

 And finally, as I step down off my soapbox, just appease me while I show off more pictures of the most beautiful child God ever made.